#winner header pack

[haylor-stuff]

🏆

like or reblog if you save

[sailorjisunq]

윈터 + 선우

[hstylestuff]

like or reblog if you save

don't repost

[thebossofhigh]

[vg-k]

✼　｡ﾟ･ ⌛ 𝒲hy did I do this event?

- Well, first of all I saw several blogs doing events which made me want to do one too, since I think it will be something fun. That's why I plan to use this event as a way to interact more with the blogs on this platform and get to know each other better.

✼　｡ﾟ･ ⌛ ℋow the event works

- You will have to make a moodboard with one of these icons. (You can decide the style, in addition to using any other resource, it will only be necessary to include one of these images).

- You are completely free to include a photo of an idol, whether from gg, bg or soloist

- examples: 🍮1 👩🏼2 ��3

✼　｡ﾟ･ ⌛ ℋow to join

- Reblog this post and tag 3 friends or a blog that you like

- Comment joining in your language, if you speak Spanish comment "unirse", if you speak Portuguese comment "participar" and tell something about yourself (it could be a talent you have or something you like) (It is with the intention of getting to know each other better :)

- use the hashtag #vg-k  𝒯 ell me: event and tag me in the post. Having done all that you will be officially participating

✼　｡ﾟ･ ⌛ ℐmportant

- The more creative your moodboard is, the more chances you have to win -You can edit the images if you want, use dividers, gifs and everything you want

- The event will end on February 29, any entry to the event after that day will not be taken into account.

- The results of the event will be published in my account, a few days after the event ends.

- Winners please dm me, to claim prizes

✼　｡ﾟ･ ⌛ 𝒫 rizes

- All prizes will be personalized and made by me

- Winners will be able to decide if they want their prizes to be published or sent privately.

- 1st place: 100 reblogs on my reblog account @gojofetish + 3 custom wallpapers + 5 custom moodboards + 3 insta packs and 3 twitter packs + 3 headers + 2 packs of 5 locs + 3 packs of dividers in this style 🕊

- 2nd place: 80 reblogs on my reblog account @gojofetish + 2 custom wallpapers + 3 custom moodboards + 2 insta packs and 2 twitter packs + 2 headers + 1 pack of 5 locs + 2 pack of dividers in this style 🕊

- 3rd place: 60 reblogs on my reblog account @gojofetish + 1 custom wallpaper + 3 custom moodboards + 1 insta pack and 2 twitter pack + 2 headers + 1 pack of dividers in this style 🕊

- 5 special mentions (They would be the people who were in 4th, 5th, and 6th place) : 20 reblogs on my reblog account @gojofetish + 2 custom moodboards

✼　｡ﾟ･ ⌛ tags ! I tagged them because I like their blogs.

@baesol @jenfaery @bambicito @fuckici @yeritos @iluvrei @japnz @froopis @wonflirtz @wiotas @7hyein @fairymiese @umiena @jeonqham @jnthri @v6mpcat @misdior @tyunlouv @p-oisn @i04rei @yoonitos @gigittamic @y-vna @jeonzio @l-unitas @poeticore @sugarino @tookio @y-unjis @alfaire @deaimachi @i-kyujin @menhpy @h-aewo @jkghost @florietas @dollijongs @s-heon @koosuvi @i6gyu @muruffin @wonysela @gaecoo @eun-luv @giraisol @galavande @v6que @huesudos @flwzai @yeossemble

Thank you from now on for participating.

[anahilation]

˙ ˖ ✶ anahilation // ringing in spring with a flash graphics giveaway!

need a blog refresh? i'm giving away two free blog packs (a promo, pinned post, and mobile header) to celebrate the new season & get the word out about my commission service!

to be eligible, you must be following this blog. to enter, reblog this post as many times as you'd like from your roleplay blog (no personals allowed, one blog per person). this giveaway will close on friday, march 15 at 11:59 p.m. CST. i will announce winners on saturday, march 16. please allow 2-3 weeks for me to finish your pack.

for more info about my commissions, check out the source link! if you’d like to leave a tip, my ko-fi is ANAHILATION.

[axolotlgifs]

hi folks ! after a lot of thinking, i came to the conclusion that after almost two years and +100 gif packs in the process, this blog has served its cycle now and it's time for a change so in the past couple of days, i've been working on setting up a new blog and directory -which i hope to keep more active and tidy- and to give @axolotlgifs a proper closure, i'm making a giveaway to thank all of you who have been following this blog so far!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

you must have been following this blog prior the giveaway

reblog this post once on your main blog (personal/indie/writing/musings/etc)

send me an ask following this format:

this is an entry for a gif pack of [ faceclaim name ] in [ project name ] !

PRIZES:

every reblog will get a gif pack (100-200 medium gifs) of the fc of your choice

commissioners and people who donate + $10 to any of these links will get the chance to double-up the prize (up to 400 gifs or two fcs of your choice)

this giveaway will be valid for the next 48hrs (till june 10th; 00:00 cst) and only if it gets +10 reblogs [ if this flops, i'll pretend i didn't post it lol ]

FURTHER DETAILS UNDER THE CUT: ( please read them carefully )

inactive/empty/rp character's blogs are not allowed to participate

the ask must be sent from the blog you reblog this post on or mention the sideblog if that's the case

you can add up to 3 faceclaim's options in the ask if you want but only one project for each one of them. i won't be responsible if there isn't enough hq footage to complete at least 100 gifs, so choose your fc's project carefully (same goes if it's something released recently in theatres)

the gif packs will be for public access and posted in my new blog between any possible commission i may have in the next couple of months

i promise that i will try my best to make a quick delivery of all the gif packs ! with that being said, and in order to reach this goal, the amount of gifs you receive will directly depend on how good the lighting of the project you choose is and how easy is to color correct it since i'm not planning to dedicate more than 3-4 days to each project

i reserve the right to decline any faceclaim at my own discretion

the winners will be published on monday at ~12:00 cst with the closure post of this blog, you will have until then to send your ask or i won't add you to the list

this is intended to be a one person-one gif pack thing so if i find out you entered this giveaway more than once, i will call you out publicly, block you and cancel the whole thing for everyone so please, don't be that person !

for the double-up prize:

* if you're one of my past commissioners, include the fc you commissioned from me * if you submit a new commission before the giveaway ends, i'll add up to 200-400 gifs to your original purchase (as long there's enough footage) or make a new small pack for another fc of your choice * if you have donated to any of the links above, add your favorite emoji at the end of the ask (i will require a screenshot of your donation later tho)

header template was made by yellowhelper ♡

thank you so much for putting up with me this far and good luck !

yalli ♡

[mizugucci]

🎵 That honestly sound fun I’m curious ! 💞

hey! i hope you like it! i definitely leaned into the pokemon/aesthetics using your sideblogs haha

position: the assigned position you have is a dancer, but you have a unique vocal tone so you do have quite a few lines. also you're in charge of 'aesthetics' so like you manage social media pages (headers deco etc) and also have quite the eye for photography for your members (how to pose them, lighting, clothes etc)

concept: obviously im going to go with something pokemon related as the concept. however i think that would probably be copyrighted, so the concept would be generic trading card game. every member gets a trading card with their stats (singing, rapping, dancing, etc.) and all photocards have stats on the back for that specific comeback, so the pc on front is a regular pc, but turn it over and it can be used in a game. also very similar to sports card collecting. starter packs and booster packs can be bought, so it truly can be used as a game.

group name: going with the concept, the group name is (UR) which im sure you know refers to the rarity of the cards/collectibles, meaning 'ultra rare' so its referring to how great the group and its members are, like its rare and cant be duplicated. there are 9 members (referring to the Power Nine as well as the very beginning of trading card games, starting in the 1990s)

debut song: ohhh its DEFINITELY video game esque, but its not the upbeat games (like mario or stuff like that) but more deep and dark fantasy. the mv is an introduction into your world, introducing each member as well as important items or beasts. the debut is intricate and thorough, so everything is laid out and explained, so comebacks are much easier

fun fact: oh god idk. everythings been so fun this far lol i guess this would be obvious but your fans are called "players" lmao. every year on your debut date, a tournament is held at the company, where fans who signed up play against each other. the winner of the tournament gets to meet the group to get signed cards (which bumps up the power and stuff)

send me a 🎵 and ill create a kpop group with you in it, based on your blog

[stateofsport211]

📸 ATP official website

The packed double-header day in the Charleston Challenger was closed with an all-American semifinal stand-off between first seed Christopher Eubanks, who defeated Alexis Galarneau 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 earlier that day in the quarterfinals, and Nishesh Basavareddy, who knocked out fourth seed J.J. Wolf 7-5, 6-2 right after. There turned out to be a tiny difference between them, but only those handling the pressure points better stood out at the end.

After 6 consecutive holds, which also included Nishesh's 2 fumbled break points somewhere in the third game, C. Eubanks continued through a rare intuitive volley to set up his one-point lead before holding his serves to 4-3. It took two more games before Nishesh scored another working volley to put himself ahead in this match before C. Eubanks' +1 backhand error created the former's break point.

Eventually, Nishesh broke due to a failed smash from C. Eubanks (5-4), earning him the opportunity to serve for the first set. The youngster succeeded, scoring a successful serve+1 (with a forehand winner finish) to take the first set 6-4, securing him the head-start to this match.

[jfbuckley]

Although this was on BBC, I missed it due to playing chess. Never mind - my football correspondent obliged with his usual superlative review.

A last minute scrambled winner might not seem much, but it is better than the beating we suffered on our very recent visit to Robin Hood.

—————-

hi - despite the scarey build up to this match about missing players united had a fairly strong starting XI

united were much the better team in the 1st half - mctominay had a couple of chances - 1st header was straight at keeper, the 2nd was well saved at the near post - earlier the recalled antony hit the bar from a well worked set piece - rashford wasn't doing much, demonstrating he's not a leader of an attack - hardly any instances of hold up play - forest had a few attempts on the counter attack but either shot high and wide - other shots were easily saved by onana who looks more like a competent keeper with each passing game

2nd half forest had further opportunities as they gained more possession but once again finishing was poor - onana made a couple of decent saves - in general both sides surrendered possession too easily with wrong weight of pass or lacking accuracy - it looked a nailed on goalless draw and extra time

then on 89 minutes united had a free kick out on the left about 25 yards out - fernandes swung it in towards the near post - we've sometimes seen these evade everyone and either go wide or nestle in at the far corner - this time the onrushing casemiro got his head onto the ball and scored past the keepers right hand to the unbridled joy of the united fans packed behind the goal

we had to wait ages for a VAR check but the goal was given and united were through - their reward is a home quarter final to liverpool whose kids again performed very well in their tie v southampton

overall united weren't great but just about deserved the victory - as fergie said about cup ties it doesn't matter how you play just make sure you get into the next round

job done - next up city at the etihad - last year the reds were 4 down at half time - can't be that bad again can it?

bye

[apkville1]

Head Ball 2 is a thrilling and fast-paced multiplayer football game where you can challenge your opponents!. Take place in 1v1 online football matches against real opponents from all around the world. Join millions of football players to prove yourself to the online football community and your friends. Play 90-seconds of action-packed football matches; whoever scores more goals, wins! Challenge your friends in real-time! Get social by connecting your Facebook account and playing exciting football matches with your friends, show them who is the best! You can also join a football team or create your own team and gain different rewards as you win matches! Represent your team and face-off, different teams, to show which football team is superior. Contribute to your teams’ overall progress. Rumble Through Competitive Soccer Leagues with your team! Compete in 5 different football leagues and do your best to make it to the very top of the ladder. Join a team or create your own, either way, you’re much powerful with your team! Join the competition each week where you have a chance to challenge other teams all around the world. The more teams you beat, the more chances to rise from Bronze League to Diamond League! Fight your way through real opponents and challenging soccer matches. You can’t know who the winner before the match will be is over. Unique Gameplay Football is all about kicking the ball and scoring goals, right? Kick, strike and score using your hero. Use your feet, head, and superpowers to score goals. Head Ball 2 offers simplistic gameplay that can be quickly transformed into action-packed and exciting games. Hit the ball, hit your opponent, use headers, superpowers or outwit your opponent by juking them. Everything is permitted, as long as you win! Take Control of Your Soccer Career Progress through the unique career mode to unlock special bonuses, characters, and accessories. As you progress, rewards become increasingly challenging to obtain, do you have what it takes? Stand out from the crowd! Pick the best character out of 125 unique upgradeable characters, unlock new accessories to improve your football hero, and create your dream football player! As you progress, you will unlock different stadiums and gain fans to support you. The more the merrier! Become the ultimate soccer hero and show who’s got more style and skill! Upgrade Your Character Upgrade your character to unlock your full potential. Progress through the career mode to unlock unique bonuses, accessories, and even heroes. As you progress, the rewards will get better but so will the challenge. Are you up to it? No match will be the same as the previous one in this football game! Features -Play football against real opponents from all across the world in real-time! - Thrilling moments with the voice of the legendary commentator, John Motson! -Facebook connection to play with your friends! -Dynamic and exciting gameplay with dashy graphics. -125 unique characters to unlock. -5 unique competitive soccer leagues with 15 brackets to play through. -Hundreds of accessories to improve your football hero! -Plan out your strategy on the field with 18 upgradable powers. -Card packs that contain characters and items. -Gain supporters to unlock new stadiums. -Daily Missions to get more fun and rewards! Download Head Ball 2 to experience the thrill of challenging soccer matches against millions of players across the world! Important! Head Ball 2 is a free-to-play game. However, there are some in-game items that can be purchased for real money. You can disable in-app purchases in your device’s settings if you don’t want this feature. A network connection is required to play.

[itmindslab]

Wix vs WordPress who has the best SEO features? - IT Mindslab

Choosing the right platform for your website is a crucial decision, especially when it comes to SEO. Wix and WordPress are two popular options, each with its own set of features. In this SEO showdown, we’ll compare Wix and WordPress to determine which platform offers the best SEO features, helping you make an informed choice for your website.

Visit Wix vs wordpress who has the best seo features? - IT Mindslab

Understanding SEO on Wix

Wix is a user-friendly website builder known for its simplicity. When it comes to SEO, here’s what Wix brings to the table:

User-Friendly Interface: Wix’s drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for beginners to build websites. It offers on-page SEO tools that help you optimize titles, meta descriptions, and image alt text.

Mobile Optimization: Wix automatically optimizes websites for mobile devices, which is crucial for SEO, as mobile-friendliness is a ranking factor.

App Marketplace: Wix has an app marketplace where you can find SEO-related apps and plugins to enhance your website’s search engine optimization.

SEO Wizard: Wix provides an SEO Wizard that guides you through the optimization process, from keyword selection to meta tag customization.

URL Structure: You can customize your URL structure on Wix, which is essential for creating clean and SEO-friendly URLs.

However, Wix does have some limitations when it comes to advanced SEO features and flexibility.

The SEO Arsenal of WordPress

WordPress, on the other hand, is an open-source content management system (CMS) known for its flexibility and powerful SEO capabilities:

Customization: WordPress offers unparalleled customization options, allowing you to install SEO plugins like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack. These plugins provide comprehensive tools for optimizing content, titles, meta descriptions, and more.

Content Management: WordPress excels at content management, making it easier to organize and categorize your content for better SEO. It also supports content siloing, a strategy for structuring content to improve search visibility.

Speed Optimization: You have more control over website speed optimization in WordPress, which can have a significant impact on SEO. Caching plugins like W3 Total Cache and WP Super Cache can help improve load times.

Technical SEO: WordPress allows for in-depth technical SEO improvements, such as optimizing schema markup, canonical tags, and handling redirects.

Community Support: The vast WordPress community provides access to an abundance of SEO resources, tutorials, and forums for troubleshooting and learning.

In the battle of Wix vs. WordPress for SEO features, WordPress emerges as the winner, particularly for those with in-depth SEO requirements and a desire for total control over their website’s optimization. Its flexibility, plugin ecosystem, and advanced SEO capabilities make it the preferred choice for many SEO professionals.

Wix SEO Features: A Closer Look

On-Page SEO Tools: Wix provides a user-friendly interface for optimizing on-page elements like titles, meta descriptions, and header tags. It also offers suggestions for improving content based on SEO best practices.

Mobile Optimization: Wix automatically optimizes websites for mobile devices, ensuring that your site is mobile-friendly—a crucial factor for SEO, as Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing.

App Marketplace: Wix’s App Marketplace includes various SEO-related apps and plugins, such as SEO Site Audit, SEO Booster, and Google Analytics integration, which can enhance your SEO efforts.

SEO Wizard: The SEO Wizard guides users through the SEO optimization process, making it easier for beginners to understand and implement SEO best practices.

Structured Data: Wix allows you to add structured data markup to your site, helping search engines understand your content better and potentially earning rich snippets in search results.

WordPress SEO Features: Going Beyond the Basics

Powerful Plugins: WordPress’s greatest strength lies in its vast library of plugins. SEO plugins like Yoast SEO and All in One SEO Pack offer advanced features such as XML sitemap generation, breadcrumbs, canonical tags, and schema markup.

Customization and Flexibility: WordPress is highly customizable, enabling you to create tailored SEO strategies. You can optimize individual posts and pages, manage categories and tags, and implement advanced SEO techniques.

Content Management: WordPress excels in content management, allowing you to organize your content effectively. Categories, tags, and hierarchical taxonomies enable you to structure your content logically, improving user experience and SEO.

Technical SEO Control: WordPress provides greater control over technical SEO aspects. You can configure settings for robots.txt, control indexing and crawling, optimize image alt attributes, and implement URL redirects with ease.

SEO-Friendly Themes: Many WordPress themes are designed with SEO in mind, ensuring clean code, fast load times, and mobile responsiveness.

Community and Resources: WordPress has a vast and active user community, making it easy to find SEO tutorials, guides, and forums for troubleshooting and improving your SEO knowledge.

The Role of Content Quality

Regardless of the platform you choose, remember that content quality is paramount for SEO success. Engaging, informative, and well-structured content will always be the foundation of a strong SEO strategy. Both Wix and WordPress allow you to create high-quality content, so invest time in content creation and optimization.

Consider Your Specific Needs

Ultimately, the decision between Wix and WordPress for SEO depends on your specific needs, technical expertise, and long-term goals. If you prioritize simplicity and have basic SEO requirements, Wix can serve you well. However, if you seek advanced SEO capabilities, complete control, and the ability to adapt to changing SEO trends, WordPress is the preferred choice for many SEO professionals and businesses.

However, Wix is not to be dismissed, especially if you prioritize ease of use and simplicity in website creation. For beginners and those with basic SEO needs, Wix can still help you establish a web presence and achieve decent search engine rankings.

Ultimately, the choice between Wix and WordPress should align with your specific website goals, technical proficiency, and SEO ambitions. Both platforms can be leveraged effectively for SEO success with the right approach and knowledge.

[hstylestuff]

like or reblog if you save

don't repost

[vg-k]

vg-k  𝒯 ell me: event WINNERS ✧

Firstly, I want to thank everyone who supported and joined this event. I confess that it was a little difficult to choose the winners since many of you did a great job, which I really appreciate. Well, without further ado I will announce the winners.

✼　｡ﾟ･ ⌛ Firts place @i06gyu entry

✼　｡ﾟ･ ⌛ Second place @ryeins entry

✼　｡ﾟ･ ⌛ Third place @miuhyein entry

- 5 special mentions

@gaecoo ☆ entry

@yeossemble ☆ entry

@obrigados ☆ entry

@gigittamic ☆ entry

@jenfaery ☆ entry

✼　｡ﾟ･ ⌛ 𝒫 rizes

- 1st place: 100 reblogs on my reblog account @gojofetish + 3 custom wallpapers + 5 custom moodboards + 3 insta packs and 3 twitter packs + 3 headers + 2 packs of 5 locs + 3 packs of dividers in this style 🕊

- 2nd place: 80 reblogs on my reblog account @gojofetish + 2 custom wallpapers + 3 custom moodboards + 2 insta packs and 2 twitter packs + 2 headers + 1 pack of 5 locs + 2 pack of dividers in this style 🕊

- 3rd place: 60 reblogs on my reblog account @gojofetish + 1 custom wallpaper + 3 custom moodboards + 1 insta pack and 2 twitter pack + 2 headers + 1 pack of dividers in this style 🕊

- 5 special mentions: 20 reblogs on my reblog account @gojofetish + 2 custom moodboards

⭐ IMPORTANT ⭐

• All prizes will be personalized and made by me

• Winners will be able to decide if they want their prizes to be published or sent privately.

• Respective winners please DM me

• The Twitter packs and headers will be published on my other account @s-eeunis

But once again thanks to everyone who participated, I love each of your moodboards

[frontproofmedia]

AMANDA SERRANO VS. ERIKA CRUZ FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES AND IMAGES

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Published: February 04, 2023

 Double-header of undisputed action on Saturday in New York

Eddie Hearn:   “Welcome everybody today, huge turnout to the mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden. What an honor to be back in this incredible city. Of course, last April, April 30, the night that will go down in history as one of the greatest fights, one of the greatest events in the history of Madison Square Garden, when Amanda Serrano faced up against Katie Taylor in a tremendous fight for the undisputed lightweight world championship.    “This Saturday, live on DAZN around the world, Amanda Serrano will bid to make history, to become undisputed champion against reigning world champion Erika Cruz. It’s Puerto Rico against Mexico. Of course, the co-main event as well, Alycia Baumgardner looking to become undisputed as well against Elhem Mekhaled of France in another undisputed matchup. 126 and 130lbundisputed championships on the line this weekend.    “Of course, we want to thank everybody here at Madison Square Garden. Sal, and Joel, and the team. Thanks for the hospitality at the Knicks against Lakers game this week; it was a tremendous event. But it also reminds me of how great our own sport is, when we see great occasions, when we see great atmospheres, when we see great fights, and on Saturday night you’ve got a tremendous card from top to bottom. It’s going to be packed out in the Hulu Theater, massive Puerto Rican fanbase as well coming to support Amanda Serrano. Incredible card, which we’re going to be running through with you guys today. We’re going to start with three young prospects that we can’t wait to see in action.”   Amanda Serrano   “It’s going to be truly amazing. As a female fighter, I’ve been in this game a long time, I’m probably the longest-reigning world champion in the sport right now. I was always going where the opportunities were and now that I was done chasing the divisions, I said this is my time. I want to go back to where I feel the best, and that’s featherweight. We did that, and to have most of them but one, and come Saturday night, have all of them, it’s going to be truly amazing. One of the greatest journeys of my life and my career.”   “The confidence that I went in there with one of the best, the confidence that the arena was jam-packed, the crowd was just amazing. So, no matter where they put me, I’m going to be 100% confident.”   “I love the Hulu Theater, it’s my home. I’d rather fight in the Hulu Theater because the fans are right there with you. It’s so intimate and the fans are going to be celebrating with me that night.   “It wasn’t just this week that I was concentrating on Erika Cruz. This whole camp has only been Erika Cruz. I know she’s a tough Mexican fighter. She is the WBA champion. She has the last piece of the puzzle, I have all the rest, and we both want the same thing. We’re both world champions and that’s what we’re going to show come Saturday night. The real winners are going to be the fans because it’s going to be a fight and a fumble. It’s going to be punches and bunches, and I have all the respect for Erika Cruz for taking the fight. It’s a historic night for both of us and I just can’t wait.”   “It hasn’t always been, but now it’s my mindset. I want to be undisputed champion, being the first Puerto Rican undisputed world champion. That’s my goal. Puerto Rico has had champions in all the divisions, the seven-division world champion, the youngest champion, and now, come Saturday, god-willing, become the first undisputed champion coming out of Puerto Rico. And it’s at the weight divisions where I feel my best, I’m comfortable, it’s my division.”    “It’s definitely going to be a great fight. Erika Cruz is a Mexican champion, she’s going to come, and I’m coming guns blazing, so it’s going to be punches and bunches and it’s going to be an amazing night. The fans are going to be the winners because it’s going to be a great night of fireworks and punches and action.”    Erika Cruz   “It’s an opportunity I’ve been looking for. On Saturday, I’m going to give absolutely everything. As a good Mexican, give absolutely everything to win. And once again, thanks to God.”   “To be honest, we’re not focused in any way on what people will say. We don’t pay attention to what’s said on social media. I’m just completely focused on my team. As soon as we knew the date was to be scheduled, knew that I was facing Amanda Serrano, there were no distractions. I’m just really delighted and really happy with God. I also have to say thanks to my father, who is always with me in every moment. On Saturday night it will be a historic moment for Mexico.”   “First and foremost, I have to say that I thank God for everything that I’ve been through. Becoming champion would mean giving that bit back to my father. He had a dream that I would go on to become world champion. I’m so appreciative of everything God has given me and all the support I’ve had from people, and I hope god-willing that I can go on to be victorious on Saturday night.”   Alycia Baumgardner   “It’s a pleasure to just see the belts here, being in New York, it’s a blessing. I just take a deep breath just to know that my journey has been a process. Tt has been very rewarding, and again, a lot of hard work, a lot of grit, and never giving up, and that’s why we’re here today and that’s why I’m one step closer to becoming undisputed, as I mentioned plenty of times before. I’m ready; I’m well prepared for this fight.”   “The hunger is still there. As I walked in the gym as an eight year old girl I had a vision. I had a plan to become the best, and that’s what I’m doing now, here, just seeing it come alive. I’m hungry, and I love to fight.”   “I’m expecting her [Elhem] to come forward, she is a tough fighter. But again, I know my assignment, I’ve worked very hard to get here, and I cannot let someone like her stop me. She’s going to be in a fight, and I hope she’s ready.”   “This Saturday I will become undisputed. I have been claiming this and I speak it, and again, everybody will see an amazing performance.”   “The journey has been amazing. I’m so happy with everything and how everything went, with going to the UK, with building my profile, with having these hard fights, proving myself repeatedly. We’re going to prove again to the world why I’m the best and why I’ve become undisputed this Saturday.”   “We have to reflect. That’s something I have always done and when you look back you see the journey and you appreciate it. I appreciate the hard work that I’ve put in over and over and over, and again; I’m still putting the work in. The work is never done.”   “It’s [discipline] what I’m good at. It’s what I’ve dreamed of, becoming something great, and I know that it takes a lot of discipline. And when you make it to the top, you have to have even more discipline to stay on top.”   “The support has been amazing. I feel the love, I feel the genuine support of everyone who’s been supporting me. It keeps me motivated; it keeps me pushing forward to the bigger and better fights, and I’m blessed.”   “I’m ready to fight. I’m ready to really put my hands on somebody. The fight with Mikaela was great but this time I’ve got someone who wants to fight, and I like to fight. I like to throw some bombs in there, so we want to get her out of there, we want to make a statement, and look good doing it. And that’s what I’m best at.”   “I know I belong here, but just seeing it, I’m like wow, here we are again. Just another fight, another challenge, another opportunity to be even better, and that’s what I strive to be. A better athlete, a better woman, and just being a spokesman for the sport of boxing.”   “As the venue goes, I expect a sold-out crowd. Again, we have not just me fighting, but Amanda fighting. I’m looking forward to seeing this crowd be packed.”    Elhem Mekhaled   “Thank you very much for welcoming me, for giving me this opportunity. I really want to thank Serafina, Matchroom Promotions, Marshall, and Eddie Hearn. I’m doing to seize this opportunity on Saturday, definitely.”   “I’m expecting a wall because Alycia is a puncher, I’m a puncher too. I know how I feel today, and this is going to be a great and a big fight.”   [On what it would mean to her to win every belt in the sport] “That would be the greatest reward for me. For never giving up, for practicing and training so hard and to prove that I’m the best.”   Richardson Hitchins   “Saturday night. I think that I’ve been here before. I’ve been in anticipated fights, I beat former world champions, I beat prospects and a lot of great fighters. He’s never fought nobody. For him to say he’s ready, he’s never even passed an eight-rounder. He’s fought a lot of guys with built-up records, guys that he couldn’t take out- bums- I knocked out easy.    “He [Bauza] is saying I’ve got no power, but he’s fought nothing but bums. If you’ve never passed eight rounds, you’ve never fought no world fighters, you’ve never even fought close to a world title. He fought bums that I knocked out and that he went eight rounds with, struggling. And I knocked them out. So, I got no power?   “He [Bauza] knows who I am, I know who he is. Like I said, he’s been in the ring with me before, he tasted some of this, so he’s going to taste some more on February 4th.”   “I’m always in the gym so it’s just about staying focused, staying ready, and just preparing myself for any type of challenge possible.”   “It’s going to be just a great night. I just want to feel that New York energy. I know the New York support is going to be heavy. He’s going to have some Puerto Rican fans because you know Amanda Serrano is the main event, so I’m sure some of her fans are going to gravitate towards him. It’s just going to be a great night of boxing. All I can do is just stay focused, stay calm, and just do what I do best.”   [On bringing Eddie to Cops and Kids] “It’s just great because the kids get to see somebody like Eddie. Eddie is a legendary promoter and the kids being close to greatness, seeing a young fighter like me that’s chasing his dreams and accomplishing things in boxing. Hopefully they want to get where I’m at one day. It’s just great for the young kids. I want to keep inspiring the kids, keep inspiring the kids especially from my city, and just keep doing big things.”   “The New York fans always see me on TV fighting. A lot of people get excited so see me on TV so for them to be able to come to the venue and watch me fight - and it’s a great fight, I’m not coming home and fighting a duck, I’m fighting a kid who really thinks he’s going to win, and undefeated fighter, a guy that doesn’t know how to lose so I’ve got to teach him that on Saturday. I just have to go out there and give it my best. Me and my team are ready.”    “Like I said, you’re talking about a guy that has more fights than me but the same number of knockouts saying I have no power. A guy that I have hurt before in sparring. We’ve fought similar opponents, guys that were scrubs. The name of the game is not power, the name of the game is skills, and skills pays the bills. I’m going to get my bills paid.”   “The main object from when we first came to this was to win, so it doesn’t matter if it’s the WBC regional belt, WBC title belt, it’s to win.”   John Bauza   “First of all, I want to say thank you for this opportunity to be here. All I have to say is that I work hard. There was a lot of back and forth, but we got the fight, and we’re ready.”   “We’re ready for everybody. We already proved that in the amateurs. He [Hitchins] knows who I am; I sparred him before. I come from the same group as them, all of them. They know who I am too, so we’re ready for everybody.”   “I’m ready for it.”   Skye Nicholson “I'm really excited, every fight now is a stepping stone to get me closer to becoming mandatory to fight for world titles, so all focus is on Saturday night, and I’m looking to get myself into a mandatory position.”   “I feel like I haven't really faced an overly aggressive opponent as a professional yet, so I'm very excited for that. Tanya is an aggressive fighter, she’s going to come, she's young, she's hungry, she’s coming to win, and like I've always said, that when you’re going to see the best me.”   “I’ll definitely be watching the main event with eager eyes. I think that Cruz has been written off a little bit for this fight. I think she's going to be a good challenge for Serrano and I’m excited to see how that goes. They’re both definitely potential future opponents for me, hopefully in 2023, so I'll definitely be watching very closely.   Tania Alvarez   “First and foremost I want to say thank you very much, Matchroom, for the opportunity to be here. I just have to say that I’m delighted, I’m really happy to be here fighting at Madison Square Garden.”   “Obviously as you say, it’s a big opportunity, fighting for this WBC silver title and it’s an opportunity that I’m looking to take and grab with both hands on Saturday night.   Ramla Ali   “I wouldn’t have left everything back home in London, to base myself in LA, not knowing anyone and just commit myself full time to training, but I love the sport and I love the opportunities to learn, to grow, to get better, and that’s exactly what this fight is on Saturday. It’s an opportunity to showcase how good I have become, training in LA with an incredible team.”   “You always want to get in the ring with somebody who’s coming to win, not somebody who is just there. I feel like when you are put in those positions against an opponent that’s coming to win, that brings out the best in you as well, so I feel like I’m just going to perform even better on Saturday.”   “The one I’m eyeing is the WBC with Yamileth Mercado and I know that will be a great fight and I’m hoping to get a fight like that in 2023. Women’s boxing is very exciting at the moment, for sure.   “There’s still a lot of work to do on the power. You shouldn't let knockouts get to your head sometimes because then you become too complacent. The first thing I did after Saudi was go straight back into the gym and use that opportunity to learn, to grow, to develop, to learn new things, to sit down more on my shots and gain more power. Slowly we’re working and I’m incredibly blessed to have an amazing team around me, for sure.”   [On working with Manny Robles] “The first thing I noticed was that I don’t sit down enough on my shots and that’s the one thing that him, Edgar, and his son Manny Jr. have tried to change and I feel like they have over time, over being there. I just love how they teach. Everybody gets an equal amount of love, depending of where you are in the camp, everybody gets one-on-one time with the coach and that just shows how much they love the sport and how much they love boxing. The fact that they can show the same amount of love to somebody who is 27-0 compared to somebody who is 1-0”   “What is this, ‘trying, trying?’ We are going to be 8-0 on Saturday for sure.”   Avril Mathie   “Yeah exactly, here we are Eddie. We made it, finally. You’re right, I was very disappointed that the fight with Ebonie last year fell through and I hope, still, that fight can happen later this year once her hand is better, but in the meantime I have an exciting fight with Ramla. It’s a big step up for both of us. Like Skye said, that’s when it brings out your best performances, so I’m really excited. This is what I’ve been training for.”   “That’s why I’m going up a weight division for this fight. It’s an opportunity that I’m willing to take because winning against Ramla is going to really put my name in the lights and prove what I can do and that I deserve to be here.”   Shadasia Green “I respect Elin so much. Like I said, she’s a former world champion so I show respect by preparing myself 150% to go into a battle, test a former champion Saturday night, and I plan on being victorious.”   “Stay the course, trust the process, and that’s what I did. I paid my dues to the sport and I continuously was consistently in the gym and working hard, and I knew that my opportunity would showcase itself. And here we are today, February 4th, 2023.”    “My record showcases the power. Like I said, I have the boxing ability, I can box on the outside, I can fight on the inside, so I’m looking to showcase myself as a world-renowned fighter. One of the best female fighters you’ve ever seen.”   Elin Cederroos “It’s great to be back here, thank you.”   “This is going to be a great fight on Saturday. I’m just looking forward to entering the ring on Saturday. I’m ready.”    “I’m so ready to step into the ring. No, it’s not an easy fight. It’s never an easy fight. I’m confident and I’m so ready for this.” Yankiel Rivera   “First and foremost, I want to say thank you. Thanks to Matchroom for getting me involved in the team. It’s great to be here. I’m grateful to Matchroom, to Kevin Rooney, to DAZN. I’m really looking forward to shining in my opportunity on Saturday night”   “Hopefully I will be among the great names; you said some great names in the division. It’s an opportunity to show my caliber through hard work and hopefully we can add our name to the list in that division.   “There’s no doubt there are massive names in the division, not just fly but super fly as well, but we hope that we continue to work hard, and we can be in the big leagues with those names as well”    Aaron Aponte   “First of all, I just want to thank you [Eddie], Matchroom, DAZN, Peter Kahn, and my whole team for getting me here. We like taking these risks to develop myself and my career and just become better and better with every fight.”   “Things are looking good. I keep taking these chances and you keep putting people in front of me and I’m going to keep taking them down.”   “It’s a Puerto Rican Day on February 4th and we’re going to make a big show. Me, and everybody else.”   Harley Mederos   “Thank you for having me. I’m happy to be here and I’m happy to be performing on such a big card here at home.”   “I don’t know what makes me different, I guess my ability to adjust no matter who you put in front of me. I’m me, I can’t really say what makes me different. That’s something that you have to see for yourself this Saturday night.”   “At home, I have a lot of great support, a lot of people behind me and I’m grateful and appreciative of that and all the love I’ve been getting from everybody, even the main, Serrano, and the team support, everybody. I appreciate everything”

(Featured Photo: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom)

[traveltrainsandcoffee]

FFL WORLD CUP 2022 REVIEW

Well this really was going to be a strange and controversial world cup. First of all Qatar bribed FIFA to get it, Then it was moved to winter for the first time. Then all kinds of human right abuse started to surface. Hundreds, probably thousands of migrate workers died building it. Women seemed to be treated as 2nd class and LGBT worse. Even players protests were labelled ‘political’ and stopped. Then there was the slightly bazar Qatari rent a crowd. Then the now normal chaos of VAR and mega time added on. The president of FIFA gave a very strange speech, seemingly telling the world they shouldn’t blame Qatar for its human rights issues. Even the attendance at the games seemed off.

As the start approached the FFL teams started to come in. This would be defending FFL World Cup champion Kev Dillon’s swansong before retiring from it. Tappy was top of the FFL, could he feature.0 What about Our Grimsby Roma who in May had smashed World records. Kieron Mullin and The Hawk always do well. New manager Holly Shakeshaft and Blessing Charumbira and the return of Matt Rushton. In total 29 teams entered. The normal chaos with Team Aroma as two different baristas tried to pick the German manager their team. Blessing must have sent about 10 different drafts. So many key players missing, plus a late withdrawal of Benzema.

20th of November and I was sat in the Flying Circus drinking a big Stein of German beer putting the league together. The deadline passed and as I was travelling back from Newark on a packed rail replacement bus in the pouring rain I had the first game on the radio. Ecuador beat the host's 2 nil. The next day England played Iran. Sitting in a wet cold beer garden at The Mailbox, England took Iran apart 6v2. However this game will also unfortunately be remembered for TAREMI-GATE, With so many teams flooding in in the last few days and my knowledge of Iranian football not being up to scratch I hadn’t noticed that Blessing had him as a midfielder. Taremi scored twice and after lots of arguments it was agreed he would be classed as a forward. Bale scored for Wales against America. Japan beat Germany and Saudi Arabia beat Argentina. The first full table had Gareth Dyke, Kev Dillon, The Knightrider and Mark Kiska join top. 5 managers had less points than they started with.

The second round started with more charity money from me as Qatar lost again. England had a disappointing goalless draw with America, me and Shann watched that one in The still of all places. I watched Poland win with a group of Polish lads in the beer garden of the mailbox. Then watched a funny ‘Where is Messi? ‘Video with an Arab lad in Aroma. Saturday Argentina fired back against Mexico. Messi was definitely back. Bad news for Bob Martins and Belgium, Morocco beat them. Monday night and Ronaldo scored with a header, but on closer inspection, he didn’t touch it and the goal went to Fernandes. By the end of round two The Hawk was top, with The Knightrider second. Mark Kiszka, Kieron Mullin and Our Grimsby Roma, Tappy and Disco just behind them.

The final round of group games started and Qatar were gone. I donated a pound to both ActionAid and Stonewall for each goal they conceded. Round to £10 each. I watched England brush aside Wales in the Crow’s Nest. Germany beat Costa Rica, but VAR in the other game overturned the ref. The ball seemed to go out, but thanks to VAR Japan scored and Germany for the second world cup running were out at the group stage. 99% of the country were delighted, I wasn’t. This round also saw the end of Belgium, Denmark and Chewy Saurez’s Uruguay. Ghana’s government strangely started talking about Harry Mcguire in parliament. Mark Kiszka was now top of the league, Kieron second, Ollie Taylor-Yassin 3rd, The Hawk 4th and The Knightrider 5th. 3 former FFL world cup winners were in the bottom 3. Holly Shakeshaft had lost her whole forward line.

Round 4 seemed to be all goals, dancing, excitement and Roy Keane moaning. Morocco were still there, their Keeper and U2 lead singer Bono helped send Spain home on Pens. England beat Senegal. Holly started to regret picking so many Liverpool players. Mark Kiszka was now on 39 points 2 better than Kieron, with The Knightrider and The Hawk just behind. Chris Geoghegan was bottom with 4 points less than he started with.

The last 8 and things started to hot up, when maybe in Qatar, it was bloody freezing in the UK, who remembers World Cups in hot sunny beer gardens? Well I watched Brazil go out on pens to Croatia on my phone sat outside Aroma on a very cold night. Argentina beat The Netherlands and Morocco pulled off another shock, sending Portugal and Ronaldo out. Then the big one, England v France. On a very cold night we went to the Jolly Brewer to watch the match in a heated marque. A combination of French skill, poor ref, very poor VAR and sadly Kane blasting over bar was enough to send England out. The scores took a bit of a beating, Kieron was 1 point better than Mark and 4 ahead of The Knightrider. At the Bottom Chris Geoghegan was still in a negative score. Things were so bad Blessing started praying for him.

Somehow the World Cup bravely carried on without England into the semi-finals. Messi and Argentina were too strong for Croatia, while France ended Morocco’s dream. A great couple of games saw Chris score big and move off the bottom, maybe the praying worked. Senol was now bottom. Kieron now had 40 points and 1 point lead over Mark Kiszka. Kieron was favourite to now win the World Cup.

The final, what game, Argentina two up and cruising to an easy win. Kieron was top and looking good, Mark needed his Argentina defender Martinez to come on to stand any chance of winning it, For 80 minutes it was just like that. Then everything changed. Mbappe scored and Kieron’s lead was gone. One minute later and he scored again. Now Mark was in the driving seat. However one substitution could change everything. Messi scored again Extra time. All the goals flying in saw The Knightrider and the Hawk drifted away from the top. Gareth Dyke had a great final day and finished a brilliant 3rd. Mbappe scored a third and joined Geoff Hurst in the history books. Argentina didn’t make the change and the World Cup winner was Mark Kiska, with a record 49 points. Kieron Mullin came second. Tappy 4th and Paul Taylor 5th. Kev Dillon finished 12th in his final FFL (always welcome for a comeback one day). The Knightrider drifted on the final day and finished 9th. The highest placed female manager was Sally Sands in 8th. All the excitement and goals in the final saw Steve Tatham finish last. From winning Euro FFL 2020 to bottom at the World Cup. The Italy of FFL.

Argentina won the world cup on penalties. In the end it really was Messi’s World Cup. It sad to think it will most likely be the last World Cup for Messi, Ronaldo and Modric. Mbappe won the Golden Boot. When you base it purely on sport it was an amazing World Cup, Great game, lots of goals and a great final, however it’s impossible to ignore the human rights abuse and corruption involved in this world cup.

So that’s it, back to the FFL, see you for the Euros in 18 months.

2 Final thoughts.

Firstly would Argentina have won the World Cup if they hadn’t lost their opening game to Saudi Arabia?

Secondly what if Haaland had chosen to play for the country of his birth?

MT